The Long Lived Mage
by james2131
Summary: In the Department of Mysteries, Heidi found a Time-Turner and snuck it on her. Upon seeing Sirius die, she reversed time and undid mistakes while watching out for the past kids as a hidden killer. When it was all over and she hasn't returned to her time and there's two of her, she decided to go to the veil in place of Sirius. Judgment and another world is in store for her, however.
1. A New Home

**DISCONTINUED**

So, you willingly died for the happiness of your past self, now that you cannot return to your time through that trinket?

Yeah. She can be happy with her Sirius while I lost my Sirius due to my recklessness. He's the only family who loved me and yet...

So you decided to die?

Yeah. What's the point of living if you have nothing to live for?

That's sad. You were dealt with bad cards so you decided life is not worth living?

Er, are you going to let me die now?

Well, despite a few kills, you're innocent as you murdered to protect, not for shits and giggles as you humans word it. However, in your original world, you are dead while here, you're still alive and being judged. However, as a consequence of messing with time and unable to fix it, you will be 'frozen' in time for your remaining human life span in your old world and as you know, witches and wizards have long lifespans. You are physically 15 and unable to die until you live out 177 years due to your destiny of living 192 years, but you can change your state of health as you wish. Then after that, you will begin to age normally once more, becoming truly human again. That's the price. Oh, and we'll take that freeloader off your scar too.

I have a what?!

A soul-parasite you didn't know you have, and now we have him. We will wait for the other you to make him pay his just dues for the crime of splitting his soul like this and our judgment of him will make him prefer the very death he fears. Ironic that his chosen enemy doesn't fear death. Good luck in your new world, Heidi Potter.

And Heidi woke up in 19th Century London, year 1819.

On her lap was a book that has a green cover. Upon opening it, words began to automatically appear on it.

Welcome to an alternate world of Earth.

You are thrown backwards in time as a

consequence to your little stunt. Welcome

to 19th Century London, year 1819.

Here, the Wizarding World DOES NOT

EXIST. Instead, magicals called Magi do.

Magus is the term for a human practitioner

of Magecraft, the magical science, as

opposed to a Magician, who is capable of

bringing forth true miracles that are

impossible to be reenacted at the current

scientific stage. In ancient times, the term

magus was used for both the users of

Thaumaturgy and Magic, but with the

advancement of science that made past

miracles possible and the decline of the overall

power of Magecraft, the differences between

the two became clearer.

If one uses life-prolonging magic, it wouldn't

be impossible to live a few hundred, a few

thousand years either. Magi frequently, but not

necessarily, descend from old magical families,

as affinity to magecraft is something transmitted

through blood relations.

Instead of a Magic Core as you know, Magi have

Magic Circuits. It is a pseudo-nervous system

that spreads itself through the human body and what

qualifies a person to be a magus. Their normal

functions are to act as paths that convert Life Force

into magical energy, but humans learned how to

control it and use it to perform magic.

The older the bloodline, the more circuits a family's

descendant has. To this end, families often plan with

other families in order to pair up their children in

order to have an heir who is born with 'one more'

circuit than their parents. The more circuits, the greater

the power output of a magus. However, its true power

depends on the quality of Circuits they are born with.

Given your lineage, connected to the Peverells, Crouches,

Longbottoms and Blacks, your Magic Core became 90 A

Class Magic Circuits. You're very powerful. Therefore any

family will do ANYTHING to have you as their son's bride,

especially with your 'punishment', meaning, you can bear

powerful children for them. Well, as long as you lie low,

you can get your education and avoid Bride Wars over you.

For now, go to Clock Tower in London. This book will guide

you and will help you until you graduate. Once you graduate,

you're on your own. Ask questions or necessities from this

book. Only you can see this book. Once you graduated, this

will disappear.

To use your Magic Circuits, imagine magical energy flowing

through your body and search for your circuits in your mind's

eye. You'll see your circuits for the first time, as magical

energy flows through them for the first time, opening your

circuits. After that, you can use magic through it. In short,

your circuits replace your wand. Good luck and have fun.

The writings then disappeared, making Heidi blink.

'...I want a potion that will give my body perfect health and condition to cure me of malnutrition and gain perfect eyesight.' she asked while the book is open. A bottle appeared on the pages. 'It does work...' and she chugged it down while enduring the nasty taste. 'Yuck, potions are nasty as always.' she grimaced. 'But I'm not done yet...give me a potion that will give me developments in puberty I should have had!' she had to consume another bottle. What followed next were beauty products and lastly, she wanted her alterations to be genetic, so her children will never have bad eyesight ever again and be born with some of her aesthetic traits.

Her hair was thick and vibrantly-shiny and silky. Her skin very fair and smooth. Her teeth straight and pearly-white and no body hair either, save for her locks and eyebrows that she trimmed before her final potion.

From a short 4'10 to 5'4, she was of ideal weight and shape for her age at her state of health, and a chest size her genetics can afford her since her mother isn't exactly busty.

Then she asked questions.

'What is money like in the 19th Century? And show pictures of the coins as you explain.'

Many types of coins with the Sovereign being worth the most,

and Farthing having the lowest worth. The coins in order of worth

are:

1 Sovereign= 20 Shillings or 240 Pennies

1 Half-Sovereign= 10 Shillings or 120 Pennies

1 Crown= 5 Shillings or 60 Pennies

1 Half-Crown= 2 Shillings and 1 Sixpence or 30 Pennies

1 Shilling= 12 Pennies

1 Sixpence= 6 Pennies, 1/2 Shilling

1 Threepence/Thruppence= 3 Pennies, 1/4 Shilling

1 Penny= 1/12 Shilling

1 Halfpenny= 1/24 Shilling

1 Farthing= 1/4 Penny, 1/48 Shilling

'What is the cost of living in this era?' Heidi gulped. The money system of old London is freaking complicated!

400-500 Sovereigns for annual income is ideal husband-material

for commoners, but this amount is 'alarmingly low' for wealthy

standards, especially for widowed wives who still have unwed

daughters who receive annual income through marriage portions.

Cost of Living Expenses as Follows:

Clothing is expensive as clothing is made by hand by tailors and

their teams of seamstresses. Clothes weren't factory-made at the

time. People who want new clothes must be measured every six

months before new clothes can be made. The cheapest would be

1 Sixpence just for the cheapest dress for a commoner that the

poor would beg people for even their hand-me-downs that

their economically-stable neighbors don't want anymore. Same

goes for shoes that cost more than clothes.

Renting an Apartment depends on the neighborhood you live in.

The cheapest rent is in a neighborhood rife with crime and disease.

Ideal and safe places cost 1 Sixpence a week for commoners, and

the most expensive rent known for commoners is 11 Shillings.

Food is thankfully cheap but this only applies to Tea, Sugar, Butter,

Eggs, Bread, and Vegetables. Meat is very expensive which is why

English of this era will willingly eat any part of livestock and are not

picky as long as its farm-to-table meat. Cakes and Pastries are also

expensive you're better off learning how to bake than buy some.

and because 100% wheat flour is expensive, flour suppliers cheat by

mixing 'stuff' into it just for commoners to be able to afford it.

'What are adulterated foods and how were they adulterated?'

You sure you want to know? It'll give you nightmares. Even if you

want to, you can't fight it or people who did it will give you no

moment of peace. Just live for yourself.

'What spell or technique do I need to have to determine the quality of goods and how do I learn it?'

Heidi spent learning about need-to-knows. Spells to avoid getting scammed, manners in this era, what to wear in different occasions, and how to dress in this era before asking for a magical multi-compartment suitcase to fit in her wardrobe and all her belongings, and an inexhaustible magical pouch that only she can use and can give her the money she needs in specific amounts, making her rich in a way. She also ensured only she can see and use it, and if she lost it, she can will it to appear in her hands again.

She then asked for what to do to enroll in Clock Tower and if there are dorms, and the costs.

'Sigh, these magi sure are into highway robbery.' Heidi scowled as upon getting a closet fit for a magus that fits her nicely. Wearing a nice dress.

Dresses in the early 1800s are all empire-waist dresses. Even for student uniforms in Clock Tower!

Tuition was 300 Sovereigns, thus, only the wealthy magus families can afford that the only way for poor people to enter is through apprenticeship. If they're lucky!

Tuition aside, there's books and school supplies to worry about, and the cost of having a dorm for a school year. And they have to provide their own food for themselves.

Upon graduating in seven years, she had exploited her book well that upon its disappearance on her graduation day, she didn't panic.

She kept studying in Clock Tower, wanting to study in five more Faculties after her primary of Curse Faculty, and studied as many arts as possible to be a lethal mage.

But unlike Magi, she did not live their lifestyle. She only studied to have more cards to draw in battles. She also trained her body hard to reach peak physical form and performance that she has 'great strength and flexibility', further improving her shape as a teenager.

However, the denizens of Clock Tower noticed that she does not age, and remained physically 15 by the time she was 22 years old. She was as young as ever. But while magi prolonging their lifespan and retaining their youth through magecraft is common, a child her age able to do it definitely raises eyebrows.

When made to go for a check-up, her body was checked for anything whether she liked it or not, and discovered her secret...her circuits that got many families drooling, and the fact that she was locked in a time-based curse.

The Mages Association thus has an event in history called Bride Wars as many prominent families whose histories were 500-above fought over her for their sons while she was put in a 'holding facility' with complete housing needs for her to stay in until her 'new family' comes to pick her up.

She was annoyed by this, really.

Her life here was no different from her old one. Put in a cage until needed, then put away again. So she closed off her heart just to stave off the pain she felt, and became a cold woman while still retaining her morals.

However, it wasn't just the Western Magi. Eastern Magi also came to England to try to obtain her like she was some high-class commodity. She hated being caged, but as she doesn't want enemies on her head, she simply waited to be bailed out, and kill whoever bailed her and run like hell.

She was taken by the Asians at age 27 in year 1831 who were superior in fighting ability than the Westerners as the asians knew martial prowess and she doesn't. She judged that if she fought to flee, they'll do all means to keep her with them further restricting her freedom and she has no fighting ability even if she was physically strong. The family that got her, were the Zenjou Family who hired the Nanaya Clan as mercenaries who snuck her out of Europe. A family whose sorcery trait maximizes the pedigree of their partners through the children.

She lived in Japan, in the Edo Period where martial arts ruled by the samurai class.

Due to how much she knew, she was able to teach Japanese Magi Magecraft as there is great discrimination against asians in Clock Tower after learning Japanese, and training hard in swordsmanship. She married her husband and gave him four children as a start, yet only one can have the family crest. And the daughters of the Zenjou are highly-prized by other Japanese Families if they descended from her. Thus arranged marriages are made. She lamented the fact that she and her children are just the means to an end for magi. So she had a hand in upbringing as much as possible.

Instead of a family feud over it, she created a thaumaturgical system that determines compatibility with the Magic Crest. Thus regardless of birth order, the child with the highest compatibility, will inherit the family's crest and house headship. And due to the Zenjou Sorcery Trait, her children started off with 30 B-class Magic Circuits capable of 30 units of Prana.

That was the effect of the Zenjou Bloodline through her marriage with her husband, and the influence of her own lineage factors as she is of a very old lineage...that got the family excited when normally, such levels were IMPOSSIBLE unless you're of a family of at least, 700 years old and very good at matchmaking.

Because she's a perpetually young and beautiful wife, her husband kept his sexual drive very active, thus she bore him many sons and daughters until he was fifty years old. By this time, she has 14 children. Four sons and ten daughters, which she ensured. Her daughters were sought-after by other Japanese Families to marry their sons. Thus they stopped having kids upon having at least, two sons to have many clan descendants but Heidi wanted more kids. Since the system created by Heidi, no family in Japan feared Crest Feuds ever again and can safely have as many children as they wanted, and pick an heir compatible with the Crest.

Her husband of 21 years then gave her to his nephew when he turned 18 to marry by year 1852. It was like, she would marry at least, three men of Zenjou men who would pawn her off to younger relatives upon turning 18 after they reach the age of fifty. Such was her life until they let her go upon ensuring the future of Japanese magi. She has had husbands who stayed with her for 32 years each man.

Last Zenjou husband came at 1884, before she left the house to travel after her last thirty-two years with him. By this time, she was living in Meiji Restoration. She has no money problems whatsoever anyway. Her money pouch will always give her the money she needs no matter what country she was in. But she stayed in Asia and avoid going west on principle, and lived, marrying normal men this time while using sorcery to pretend that she ages, and would often change locations per marriage, effectively creating new families of Magi with her human husbands none-the-wiser while he goes off making a living as she turned their children into Magi if they were born with Circuits, and engage her daughters to Magus Families in Japan while her sons sought Zenjou brides.

The only perks about this, was the loyalty of her magus husbands, great sex life, and she has a big family. VERY BIG FAMILY. She also enjoyed living the ancient life, too, and became a teacher to the Zenjou Family children and they have many arts to choose from, after learning the fundamentals after Language and Math lessons. Families also sent their heirs to learn other arts from her after they learned the family arts and specialties. She often used Alchemy to create books after writing down lessons by chapter, and magic to copy books for her students.

That ended when she left the household in order to learn Japanese Magecraft such as Onmyodo, Shinto Sorcery and Buddhist Sorcery.

By 1900, through many arrangements, the Japanese Magus Society gained great power but they will not step foot into the Mage's Association just yet. Mastering their craft aside, they also must become very skilled combatants, considering the Asians earned the ire of the west by taking her from them.

However, she still ended up in the west when she was found by Einzbern Agents who took her to Germany to become their bride.

She was thinking, 'How many husbands am I going to have in my life, seriously?'

The Einzberns however, are running out of actual human members as their eighth family head, is a freaking golem, created by the family as a full-functional 'perfect' family head. And the last humans of the family, is a middle-aged, unmarried man who has the family crest. So she married him, and bore him nine sons whom they raised and trained until the last son was age twenty. All sons-and herself- learned Einzbern-Style Alchemy, and she trained her sons to have strong, combat-able bodies and trained them hard in martial arts, and combining both alchemy and martial arts into a deadly fighting style that was simple, yet horrifyingly quick and effective.

However, due to the precarious situation of the Einzberns, they cannot step foot into the Association yet. She had arranged for them through Jubstacheit to marry her great-great granddaughters while not telling the girls they're marrying their relatives. Upon securing the future of the family through training before the marriage and told them to keep bearing lots of children to secure the bloodline, Heidi then left Europe to go back to Japan wherein it now suffered money crisis.

By marrying her into the family, the future was effectively changed.

Sure, the Einzberns still participated, but without Emiya Kiritsugu getting involved with them, their greatest creation will never be born, Angra Mainyu never causing the Fire of Fuyuki, and a certain boy will never discover magecraft and become a Counter Guardian. A ripple had been made in the World, destroying the known order. The Counter-Force is thus seeking a new solution to rid the world of Angra Mainyu and it found one. All it has to do now, is to fix things in time for the Fifth Heaven's Feel.

She had a manor built just for herself, and her Homunculi Companions, while waiting for her curse to end so she can finally truly mingle in society without the annoying need to hide. The families of Zenjou, Einzbern and her 'human descent' family the Kuze know her phone number when society has a good-enough phone line again.

She spent the rest of the 20th century researching on improving the Einzbern Blueprint of Homunculus Coining, and created companions for herself who also double as servants and bodyguards. Her homunculi had a beautiful shade of a cross between gold and honey-blonde hair, and jewel-like green eyes more beautiful than Heidi's own eyes. She made them ideal beauty and cuteness depending on what she had planned. However, because she both used egg and sperm cells as opposed to just a sperm cell with alchemy, her homunculi have bypassed the issue of defects and are 'perfected homunculi', a formula the Einzberns never figured out. And as its her craft, there's NO WAY SHE'LL PUBLICIZE IT. She might get a Sealing Designation!

These Homunculi are born with the necessary knowledge to enable them to live as both human and magus. Unlike their kind, they are NOT inept with technology.

Heidi happily plays with video games in her house, thank you!

But come 1989...

Her descendant gave her a phone call.

'Hello?'

/Dai-sosen Heidi-sama?/ it was a woman.

'Er, which Zenjou is this?' only the Zenjou children call her that.

The Zenjou are effectively split-in-half. The Zenjou who came from her, and the Zenjou who didn't.

At the present date, the latter no longer bore Magic Circuits and declined completely yet still retaining the family trait. Unlike Magic Circuits, Sorcery Traits NEVER die unless the bloodline does. But unlike most magus families, the Zenjou could care less as long as they have relatives who remained 'mystically-active' and unlike westerners, don't see it as a shame. But they still practice swordsmanship and created their style of Zenjou-Ryuu Iaijutsu, Nitoryu and Battojutsu through her help. The 'declined ones' even opened a school!

The school is big enough to house students who cannot afford to commute out of inconvenience, and can house 40 students at a time and training was ten years, only receiving new students every January 1.

/Uhm, I'm Tohsaka Aoi. A Zenjou who married into the Tohsaka Family./

'I see...what do you ask of me, child?' Heidi asked kindly. Despite how she looks, she's old enough to have the right to call anyone decades younger than her 'child'.

/Even with the system you created, one of my daughters is still in danger...we are not powerful enough to protect both./ Aoi stammered out shakily. /Please help us. We have two options but a childhood friend of mine would rather I not choose the second option./

'Let me hear about that.'

/Matou Family uses Crest Worms according to him. He says anyone with those in their body would rather die than have it. And Sakura is a girl as Tokiomi chose Rin to be our heir by compatibility yet Sakura is more suited to the family art.../ Aoi choked out. /The Matou have declined completely as he refused to be the family head though he won't explain why, and his brother has a child with no circuits. Please hurry before Zouken finds out about her existence to take her from us, I beg you!/ came the desperate cry.

Heidi honestly cannot blame this Matou dude for running away, and Aoi for their desperation.

Having worms in their bodies is a lifelong torture as you 'get educated' in Magecraft. Worse, being familiars, you are at the mercy of whoever their master is.

'OK, give that girl to me than have her raped by worms for the rest of her life. I'll blood-adopt Sakura into my original family as my heir.'

/Thank you so much!/ came Aoi's tearful gratefulness. /When can we expect you?/

'I'd say soon. Get ready.'

xxx

Tohsaka Estate...Aoi put down her phone.

'I take it that's a yes?' Tokiomi asked his wife who went hysterical when he suggested to his parents and wife that he would allow Zouken to have their second daughter...if only out of pity to a declining allied family and for Sakura to take what's theirs so that the Tohsaka can have the secrets of the Matou when she and her grandchildren are strong enough for them to come back home. But apparently, his wife had a good reason to put her foot down, having surprising knowledge of what goes on in there...which was why Matou Kariya refused to marry her for her and her children's safety, and told her to tell all Zenjou NOT to marry into the Matou. After which he ran and never looked back in fear of Zouken's wrath. Kariya has 20 D-Class Circuits, and his older brother Byakuya had even fewer. Byakuya's son Shinji, has none.

Thus his wife suggested they give Sakura to her ancestress instead who currently lives alone with her homunculi companions, living as a single woman once more, retaining her original family name. She has married five times in her life after all.

The tower researched her background only to draw a blank. This was because her father who cannot afford Clock Tower was an apprentice of a Mage who was affiliated with the tower. The Potter Family is therefore an unknown entity yet for Heidi Potter to be fought over for having so many circuits, they can only guess she was of a very old lineage that nobody knew existed till now. They even theorized of what era they came to be, but Heidi's not telling as the Zenjou spirited her away.

Tokiomi felt had they done that in the 1800s, the Matou would have not declined. But their pride finally bit them hard.

'She said yes.' said Aoi in relief. 'Sakura will be OK.' she said with a sniffle, eyeing the infant in her swaddling clothes. 'She'll be here...'

The alarms are triggered, causing Tokiomi considerable pain.

'Urrrgh! Powerful!' he gasped in sheer pain, clutching his chest hard and leaning on a chair for support. 'I-is this her?'

'Yes. She has 90 A-Class Circuits.' Aoi winced in sympathy. 'Its why in the 19th Century, the families of the west and east fought over her with my family sneaking her out. The only magi who can compete with her are the Barthomeloi at this point.'

'Well, that's news to me.' Tokiomi wheezed out as he sat on a chair, sweating heavily. 'I'm not in a condition to receive guests now...I leave it to you.'

'Alright.' and Aoi left with their daughter to greet her ancestress by the door.

The woman may be fifteen in appearance, but her eyes do not belong to her appearance.

Her ancestress bore the eyes only the very old would have.

She has the eyes of tired, weariness and having known and seen a lot.

'So this is the child eh?' her voice is young, but rich in maturity. 'I shan't stay long since her existence is a secret after all. We shall talk by phone in three minutes.'

'We owe you, Heidi-sama.' Aoi bowed gratefully as Heidi apparated away with an audible 'crack'.

Well, Heidi's in for motherhood. Again.


	2. Counter-Strike

Year 1994...

'Two more years to go for my curse to end.' Heidi mused, strangely excited as soon, she will age again.

To prepare for year 1996, she began forging records. Living in Mifune City far from Fuyuki, she transformed into a little girl and made sure she was present in class photos and the muggles none the wiser. She also inserted school records into schools she chose for Kindergarten and Elementary, and actually attended Junior High School. She is currently in 3rd year Junior High School for the sake of experiencing life as a teenager that she was denied of.

And Sakura is currently five years old, becoming Sakura Potter. Her hair became black like that of her adoptive mother's. Her shade of sea-blue eyes turned green, and her asian skin became very fair like her mother's. While Magi can physically alter themselves, there's no altering the circuits she was born with. Instead, the Potter Family Genes will manifest through Sakura's child instead.

Sakura was born with great potential and rare natural talent, considered to be a miracle equal to that of her older sister Rin which was the effect of having a Zenjou mother. It surpasses the norm of natural talent or inborn skill possessed by others, and due to that she would be in danger without the protection of a magi house, can be equated to a curse in a way.

While Rin was compatible with the family crest, Sakura was more suited to the Tohsaka Magecraft due to having no elemental affinity that limits her options in learning non-elemental magic, and can use jewelcraft indiscriminately. This also makes her a highly-effective Exorcist suited for Church Work that Heidi mapped out her future.

She saw Heidi as her mother. Unlike her many older half-siblings, grew up a privileged life.

By what Heidi sees as 'privilege', she means growing up with a happy childhood with no obligation weighing down her back. Even in lessons, there was no such pressure.

Sakura learned language, manners, basic math, english and how to write like a mage. Her Magic Circuits already opened and active. She is educated and trained with copious uses of her Time-Turner that enables them to do many tasks for training in one day.

Her fourth year of life was spent getting her accustomed to it so that it gets easier as she grows older to practice Magecraft.

But first things first.

Physical fitness, casting speed training and combat prowess, as well as having deep knowledge of science until she's 12 years old. Learning actual sorcery can wait a bit! Magecraft is re-enacting stuff through their prana after all.

Such was her plans.

However, she got a phone call again. This time from Tokiomi.

xxx

'How is Sakura doing, Dai-sosen-sama?' Tokiomi asked Heidi in his sitting room. As a married woman, she wore a purple homongi with cherry blossom flower prints, with a yellow obi and coral-pink obi-age and dark-yellow obi-jime. Her obi was done in taiko-musubi. Her hair is simply worn loose with decorative hairpins.

'She's having a happy childhood.' said Heidi. 'I'm giving her what I never got at her age. The end of the 18th Century and early 19ths is a really crappy life for those who are barely able to make ends meet.' she said, speaking in very old-fashioned Japanese. 'In this era its easy for children to have a happy and carefree childhood, I'm kinda jealous.' she chuckled with a sad smile as she shook her head.

'I see.'

'Does Rin-chan know she has a little sister adopted away?'

'Well, she's better off not knowing. But she knows that we Tohsaka cannot have more than one child as we are not yet powerful enough to protect two children.' Tokiomi put an envelope on the table before her. 'My risk of death in this war is very high. I ask of you to become Rin's Magecraft Tutor and manage the Tohsaka Estates until her coming of age.' he said. 'She is currently at her mother's former home with my wife for safety.' Heidi nodded. 'Will you accept?'

'I will. Besides, those girls can spend time together despite never knowing they're sisters.' Heidi mused thoughtfully as she accepted the envelope that she scanned with psychometry. 'Has Aoi-chan approved?'

'She knows. She's not happy that my death is certain, but such is the fate of being a Master in the Holy Grail War.' said Tokiomi solemnly. 'I'm grateful for your acceptance.'

'Well, I'd best leave unseen and unheard, Tokiomi-kun. And stay positive no matter the circumstances.' said Heidi as she disappeared with a crack sound.

'...'

xxx

Heidi went back home with the documents she has in hand and waited for the war to end.

She received information from her familiars as to what happened in the aftermath after meeting Tokiomi.

There were six masters, as the rest teamed up to kill the errant master of Caster who was a clueless serial killer who doesn't know the rules of the game, and both enjoyed murder far too much that Fuyuki's many children are suspected to be killed by them while to muggles, they have no idea whodunnit.

The next to die was Berserker who died, killed by Saber. However, Saber's Master, her great-grandson Willard von Einzbern was injured afterward trying to fend off Zouken and had to be rescued by Saber, resulting in the Einzberns phoning her to help him out. Hoo, boy. Isn't this cheating?

'Really now, youngster...' Heidi gently chided her great-grandson. 'You should have known better than to try fighting a magus far more cunning.'

'Jeez, if it was you, you could have killed that old bastard.' Willard griped as he was wincing from an operation. 'You're both over 200, right?!'

'I'm a bit younger than that walking mass of worms, child.' Heidi snorted. 'He and two others founded the Holy Grail War 200 years ago. And it truly started when he was an old geezer and I wasn't even born at 1790s. I came to be at the end of the 18th century you know.' she said. 'According to the history of the founding, Zouken was in his late twenties when he, Justeaze and Nagato created this war that officially began at 1800. I was born in 1803 you know. And by that time he was in his late thirties while I'm just a toddler in that time.'

'So he's over 30 years older, big deal.' Willard huffed.

'Sometimes, age and wisdom don't matter.' said Heidi. 'What matters is how you apply your knowledge and abilities for success. Otherwise its just gathering dust in your head if not used well that you can no longer justify the saying 'with age comes wisdom'.' she told him as she atomized the worms on the bowl with a wave of her hand.

'So what is the function of the worms trying to get into Master?' Saber asked Heidi as the pair looked at her.

'Its trying to form a network linking to that old worm as they burrow into your body to make it compatible to his soul for use.' said Heidi grimly. 'He seems to want to make your body his own flesh suit.' Willard sputtered in disbelief.

'WHAT?!'

'For now, lie low as a priority.' Heidi advised. 'In a few days, the established network will fade away. Until then, no going to battle, and ignore blatant attempts to lead you to battle unless you absolutely have no choice.' she warned. 'I'd give it five days minimum.'

'Nearly a week...damn that worm!' Willard growled. 'What, he want eternal youth or something?!'

'Who knows...or perhaps his method of immortality is flawed it required some form of maintenance...my case of perfect immortality came from a curse and has a time limit. I have two more years before I'm mortal again and can become a legal adult after 177 long years. Until then, nothing can kill me.' Heidi shrugged. 'I decapitated myself at the Association once and am still alive.'

'My god...' Saber's eyes widened at the admission of the woman who was stuck as a teenager like herself.

'Well, take care, great-grandson. As a magus we walk with death. Should you die, die a befitting glorious death worthy of an Einzbern, not as insect food.' Heidi chuckled, kissing him on the forehead causing him awkward embarrassment before leaving since he, a man in his twenties is kissed by a woman who's deceptive looks conceal her true age. 'That would really be a lousy way to die.' and she disapparated.

'I sure as hell don't want to die as food granny.' Willard sighed. 'Well, looks like we're on vacation while the network is still on me, Saber. I hear Hyatt Hotel has a good swimming pool in Shinto. Want to come? Kayneth's pretty-much done anyway.'

'Er...Master, we're swimming?' Saber asked awkwardly.

'What of it?'

'I can't swim.'

'...'

xxx

Zouken fumed as the Cursed Immortal was able to effortlessly remove the worms out of the man's body. She was an unknown factor for years in the Association since being spirited away and she's in Japan?

Having lived nearly 200 years with powerful and plentiful circuits, she's a wild card who certainly has all time in the world to master many arts of magecraft to perfection. He has the same time to master many arts, but he spent his time researching for the ritual, and re-creating, renovating and innovating the Matou Family magics more that his skillset is limited as much as he hates to admit it.

Who has the Cursed Immortal for 175 years now and freed her after her marriage, perhaps?

Perhaps Byakuya still has some hope in him left after that blasted fool Kariya ran off...and she's with the Einzberns, having called the Einzbern Master 'great-grandson'.

The third battle was against Lancer and Lord El-Melloi VS Rider and Waver Velvet. Rider brought out his big guns immediately as his Master is in danger from his teacher. Lord El-Melloi barely survived the Reality Marble and Lancer died trying to protect him. He had to be rescued by his wife who was watching from afar. Rider who barely has enough to stay in the world advised Waver to steer clear of the man until he's strong enough to avoid the man's petty revenge.

Seeing that the boy was utterly helpless, Heidi rolled her eyes and took the boy in to learn from her instead of the Tower.

'How'd I end up here?!' he gasped as he appeared in a tea room before a girl in a kimono.

'Rider is right. You are no match for Lord El-Melloi as you are now.' said Heidi. 'Are you still studying in Clock Tower?'

'Uhm, yes.' said Waver.

'You can never go back there ever again.'

'Why?!'

'His family is powerful and influential. And for a family head, he's vindictively petty.' said Heidi. 'He'll either sabotage your education or have even your school seatmate or dormmate assassinate you in return for a reward. You'll die in England, you know?' Waver choked from fear at that. 'The safest place for you now, is Japan. I have taken care of the memories of the couple you're staying with and retrieved your belongings with my servants' help. Until the war ends, its best if he thinks you're murdered.' she chirped light-heartedly.

'M-murdered?!' Waver sputtered before looking resigned. 'He'll really do it. I know he will.'

'I have met men like him before. Only, he is far stronger than them.' said Heidi softly. 'They would have died in his hands in a mere second. Well, I'll have to send the Church a letter to help things along. Hopefully they cooperate, otherwise it'll take a while before you can leave my house.'

xxx

Four Servants dead.

Caster, Berserker, Lancer and Rider are down.

All that's left is Saber, Archer and Assassin.

Heidi kept watching.

As far as she knows, Archer is the most dangerous Servant in the war in terms of power.

She wondered who will survive at the end.

But there's a shocking twist.

After Archer killed Assassin, he became the Servant of Assassin's Master after killing Tokiomi. Then they fought the Einzbern Team like hell was after them. Servants aside, the battle of two masters were vicious.

'Holy cow...aren't Einzberns known for being hopeless in fights?! But look at this guy now! Toe to toe with a Church guy!' Waver exclaimed, his eyes bulging as they watched through a mirror.

'Kotomine Kirei, a child prodigy and currently an Executor. Then there's Willard von Einzbern, a typical Einzbern. But they changed since being traditionalists got them losing a lot in the past.' Heidi snorted. 'However...with matter at his disposal, the victor is clear.' she said as after a long and harrowing battle, Willard succumbed from injury, and giving his remaining mana to Saber to survive Archer.

She decided to pay Saber a visit as its clear who won.

'So, our family has won.' said Heidi, appearing behind Saber as she picked up her great-grandson. 'What is your wish?'

'I...I wanted to change the selection of the King.' said Saber. 'I was a failure as a King. I failed to understand my people leading to our ruin.'

'That's good and all, but won't that destroy what your knights worked so hard for, for your sake? Their history will change too if it was possible to go back in time without the help of a powerful entity.' Heidi told her. 'You need a god-class help to go back to your era. Do you seriously think a Grail containing 240 years' worth of prana can help you since three wars has no winner so far? At most, you can only go back to the middle ages, not to your era. If I were you I'd chose a wish that makes the most sense.'

'No way...' Saber choked out. 'Even if I won, I still lost?' she cried in dismay.

'I'm afraid so.' said Heidi softly. 'Make a wish that makes most sense, Saber. Wish for your happiness for a change. You are clearly similar to me, forced to live according to what everyone wants, not truly living for yourself. Why not incarnate here? Gain a body, and live as a mortal once more? Learn how to be happy, Saber. Its what those who truly love you would want despite how you feel.'

'T-there's no way I can do that!' Saber cried in protest in tears.

'I see...only option, take that grail back home to my family then.' Heidi sighed. This girl sure is darn stubborn. 'I have no use for it.' she stated as someone came.

It was a blonde woman clad in armor carrying a banner that also doubles as a Lance.

She is extremely powerful beyond compare and they can feel it.

'Saber, a Counter-Guardian!' Heidi cried in alarm, eyes wide. 'Run!'

'A what?!' Saber gasped, just as horrified as Heidi was as they turned tail to run but before they can take the first step, she spoke.

'Don't worry, only one person will die today.' she said, getting her sword ready. 'And that's not either of you.' and she drew her sword.

'H-huh?' the two women turned to see her stab the grail with her sword and she closed her eyes.

'You should run.'

Heidi dragged Saber away and disapparated fast.

Just in time too, as the woman spoke the fateful words,

'O' Lord, I entrust this body to you.'

And flames consumed both her, and the Grail, causing a massive pillar of flames to be seen by not just all of Fuyuki as a portion of the city was wiped off the map, but by also surrounding towns, causing Clock Tower to work in a frenzy upon getting wind from the El-Melloi Faction what was just seen, and felt.

Because no Magus can do THAT.

xxx

'That, would take one hell of a cover up.' Waver shuddered, watching it all with horror in his eyes. 'I don't envy those uppity magi one bit!' he said as Heidi and Saber appeared back home. 'Heidi! Look!' the two immortals turned to see a massive pillar of fire.

'Holy mother-fucking shit!' Heidi squawked, eyes popping out of her sockets. 'At least she didn't burn all of Fuyuki away...normally Counter-Guardians make massive clean-up sprees or maybe that one was nice?'

'Probably...we should be thankful!' said Waver. 'But how are they going to clean this up? Its probably in TV by now and all of Japan panicking, thinking someone attacked them with a WMD or something...'

'Well, World War II is still ripe in their minds.' said Heidi wryly. 'The US bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki with an atomic bomb and this kinda explosion if seen from afar will cause Japan to go into hysterics.'

'But what now? Nobody clearly won.' said Waver.

'Man, and I'm the one explaining to the Association...' Heidi groaned.

xxx

Einzbern Castle, Germany...

Acht received a report from the Immortal Bride.

Jubstacheit, the massive pillar is caused by a Counter-Guardian

who came for the Holy Grail before Saber could make a wish on

it. The winner is Willard, but he died from his wounds courtesy

of Kirei Kotomine who stole Archer from his master Tokiomi

Tohsaka after losing his servant Assassin. Willard gave his remaining

prana for Saber's upkeep to give her time to make a wish.

The Counter-Guardian destroyed the Grail quite literally in massive

flames. Maybe something happened to the Grail that 'it' decided it

must be destroyed? I'll check the Greater Grail within Mt. Enzo and

see if it too, went up in smoke. Looks like there won't be any more

Holy Grail Wars...unless you make a new one. And 'they' have

better hurry up lest the Japanese think some country chucked

another atomic bomb at them again! 1945 is still fresh.

I'll send you events of what happened after Caster's deaths soon.

And somebody investigate the Church as Kotomime killed Tohsaka

for his Servant to continue fighting for the Grail. I'll handle Saber

for now until she disappears. And send someone to bring my great-

grandson's body home for a proper funeral, won't you?

He too, would do his own investigation. Heads will roll, quite literally!

For now, he contacted the Association.

xxx

The Mage's Association literally became a madhouse, upon getting wind from the Einzberns that a Counter-Guardian appeared in Fuyuki because something happened to the Lesser and Greater Grails that Alaya decided it must be destroyed.

And the Einzberns having one of their greatest works destroyed without knowing why pissed the family off.

Not only that, an interesting topic was put up that an inquiry must be made.

xxx

Fuyuki...

'Hummm...I was thinking the Greater Grail would be...you know, more fancy.' Waver spoke in utter deadpan as the Greater Grail is in fact, a carved rock with various formulas he doesn't understand.

'Well, they're not exactly artistic when they carved this thing.' Heidi snarked as they studied with her Homunculi and Saber was a bodyguard while taking in mana from the air to support her existence. 'And if you imagine a giant golden beautiful cup, that would have made the three families poorer than beggars in the streets, you know.' Waver looked sheepish at that. 'Now then...since I know about this thing when I married into the Einzberns once...' she effectively scanned it with a lot of assistants.

'Master, something lived in here once.' one of the homunculi, Calla reported. 'And its not Justeaze.'

'Yeah, something big that that Counter-Guardian snuffed out.' said Heidi. 'Must have gotten big enough to warrant that one hell of a visit...but in any case, 1/2 of its mana is gone and its clean again. This is normally enough to contact Justeaze with an Einzbern Homonculus of Justeaze-Models as only she knows what the hell happened.'

'Ain't that the truth...' Waver sighed. 'Well, in the end all we got is a hint and possible way to talk to the core herself. But how do we explain Saber?' he asked as they looked at Saber.

'Well, at this point as she has no Master, what keeps her sustained is the bracelet pair I crafted so she can take a specific amount of mana from me without Command Seals and the Mana Pathways of the Master-Servant bond. And because Willard was her Master, her parameters was based on his aptitude as a Master. I can easily support Saber effortlessly until Saber decides she wants to retire.'

'Well...I don't know what awaits me should I disappear.' said Saber. 'I made a contract with the World for the sake of finding the Holy Grail to save my country.'

'Then that means if you disappear...you end up back to your era.' Waver croaked out.

'Yes...a war-torn world...' Saber moped. 'I had been fatally-stabbed by Mordred. If I disappear and end up back there, I will be dying.'

'According to your legend, you are an immortal king, but your sheath was stolen and hidden away so you became mortal.' said Heidi. 'Willard still has the scabbard. Its in his body which is how he survived Kotomine but his heart and spine are pierced. What really killed him was him sending his mana to you for the sake of the family's wish, Heaven's Feel and without mana, the scabbard can't work as it works by Willard sending you mana and being close to you the Avalon can take mana from its owner in order to function as an EX-Class Noble Phantasm only Saber can use and the person she chose to protect, but Willard deliberately gave all he got to Saber to give her time. It doesn't matter who invokes it as long as its anyone from the Einzbern Faction. Well, we would have won if not for the thing the Counter-Force came for, sheesh. We were so close too.' she harrumphed. 'I can only imagine old Acht's reaction now...'

'Yes...really close.' Saber mumbled unhappily. It turns out the Grail can't give her what she wants but rather by her death here, she goes back to her era. But taking an infected grail back when Merlin disappeared and she may end up unleashing what the Counter-Force came for...yikes.

'I better write a written report. We'll take up space in the Einzbern Castle after I take Waver and Aster back home because someone has to look after Sakura.'

Next day...around nighttime...

Magi poured into Fuyuki City.

They went for the Einzbern Castle first.

'Well, for the bigwigs, they might take up space here so I came prepared...good thing I did.' Heidi muttered as she prepared a lot of convenient-to-eat foods for meals.

'And for you to be here, where have you been all this time?' Zelretch asked her. 'I miss the chaos you caused a century ago.'

'Ah, shaddap.' Heidi snarked good-naturedly. 'Well, I married the guy who spirited me away, is all.' she said. She's wearing a casual dress any girl her body would wear.'

'Were you happy?'

'I never was.' said Heidi softly. 'I was a means to an end after all. Only my genetics are wanted, not me myself. No wedding bliss about that.' she sighed. 'My heart has been frozen for over a century just to keep the pain away. Its only my morals and the hell called my life that kept me going. No child of mine will live the life I did if I could help it. But I wish that one day a man would love me for who I am not what I am.' she admitted. 'In two more years my curse will be gone and I'll be mortal again. Immortality isn't all its cracked up to be when you have to hide from nearly the whole world, huh?'

'A lot of people older than you can sympathize, but time made us dead to the pains of longevity.' said Zelretch. 'Most magi would welcome immortality as they can research all they want with impunity in their workshops.'

'Ugh...in Japan, I believe they call that hikikomori, right?'

Zelretch grinned.

He looked ready to crack up.

'Haha, yeah!' he cackled. 'What a befitting comparison! So what have you found out?'

'The thing the Counter-Force came for is completely gone, but traces remain of its power, not its self.' Heidi took out a small capsule with a sample. 'It has been feeding and growing within the Greater Grail that making a wish would mean letting whatever this is out, so Alaya sent one of her guardians. And now the Greater Grail is half-empty, a good condition to reach Justeaze through a Justeaze-Model. Only she knows what happened to the Grail.'

'That would mean Jubstacheit will have to coin a Homunculus here. We wait until its born for talking purposes. But half the mana gone? It must have eaten it.'

'Probably...this means in thirty years, there will be the Fifth Grail War. The Einzberns are lucky Mt. Enzo wasn't blown-up too or you, the Einzbern and that old worm will have to make a new one. The last Tohsaka is just a little girl.'

Zelretch balked at having to make another one.

'That would be bad.'


End file.
